Department of Healthcare Administration and Informatics, School of Public Health • Birmingham, AL • Online • $1,005/Credit
Samford University offers 1 Health Informatics program:
- MS in Health Informatics and Analytics
Program Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS in Health Informatics and Analytics | $39.2K | 1.7 years (5 semesters) | 39 |
Samford’s online master’s sits in a School of Public Health, so analytics comes paired with biostatistics, public health, and health care management courses. It ends in a capstone rather than a practicum and has no CAHIIM accreditation.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | MS in Health Informatics and Analytics (MSHIA) |
| Format | Online, five semesters |
| Practicum Hours | None listed; 3-credit capstone |
| RN License Required | No; bachelor’s in any field |
| Who It’s For | Professionals moving into health data, analytics, or informatics management roles |
| Distinctive Coursework | Visual analytics and predictive modeling, data design, biostatistics, project management, ethics |
| Certification Pathway | Fits AMIA AHIC Track 1 with work experience |
| Tuition | $1,005 per credit, School of Public Health graduate rate (2026-27) |
| Accreditation | No CAHIIM accreditation; SACSCOC institutional |
| Prerequisite | Statistics with a B or better |
MS in Health Informatics and Analytics
The estimated tuition for the MS in Health Informatics and Analytics at Samford University is approximately $39,195 (39 credits at $1,005/credit).
The program can generally be completed in five semesters.
MS Curriculum
About half the courses are informatics and analytics (HIIM). The rest are public health, biostatistics, and health care management courses shared with Samford’s other programs.
- HIIM 650 Introduction to Biomedical Informatics and Analytics (3)
- HIIM 502 Electronic Health Records in Diverse Practice Settings (3)
- HIIM 653 Data Design and Analysis (3)
- HIIM 661 Visual Analytics and Predictive Modeling (3)
- HIIM 501 and HIIM 600 HIIM infrastructure courses (6)
- PHLT 504 Biostatistics (3) and PHLT 500 (3)
- MHCA 520 Project Management (3)
- MHCA 601 Ethics (3)
- Two electives (6) and HIIM 699 Capstone (3)
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The 39-credit total and course list come from Samford’s Auburn accelerated-pathway plan of study. The program page gives no total, and the catalog could not be read.
- Samford also offers a joint PharmD/MSHIA and, starting fall 2026, an accelerated pathway from Auburn’s BS in Biomedical Sciences.
MS Practicum and Capstone
- HIIM 699 Capstone (3).
- No practicum or internship is listed.
The capstone is the only applied requirement, so students without health care jobs should seek internships on their own to build experience.
MS Admissions
Admission is open to any bachelor’s holder, with a statistics prerequisite.
- Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA (overall or last 60 hours).
- GRE only if the GPA is below 3.0; three years of relevant work experience can substitute with the chair’s approval.
- Undergraduate statistics with a B or better.
- Three references (one from a work supervisor, one from a professor), resume, essay, career goal statement, and video interview.
- No RN license required.
- Samford does not issue I-20s for this program.
You Should Know
- The program page still lists dates for an August 2024 entry, so current start terms and deadlines are Not clearly stated.
Tuition
Samford’s 2026-27 graduate schedule lists $1,005 per credit for the School of Public Health. The MSHIA is not listed separately, and there is no residency difference.
| Rate (2026-27) | Per Credit | 39 Credits |
|---|---|---|
| School of Public Health graduate | $1,005 | $39,195 |
- Admitted students pay a $500 deposit that is applied to first-semester tuition.
- Rates come from Samford’s 2026-27 graduate tuition and fees schedule.
Be aware that:
- University fees “vary” and are not itemized per credit.
- The program page advertises scholarship consideration for early applicants, but amounts are not stated.
At about $39,000 in tuition, the degree costs the same for every student, before any scholarship.
Why Choose This Health Informatics Program?
The trade-off is a public health setting and an online format in exchange for no accreditation and no practicum.
What it offers. A fully online, five-semester degree with predictive modeling and visual analytics alongside biostatistics and population health, from a private university in Birmingham.
What it lacks. No CAHIIM accreditation, no required practicum, and outdated admissions dates on the program page. Students who want an accredited online master’s in Alabama would look at UAB’s MS, which requires campus visits.
Who benefits. Working health care staff, pharmacists in the joint PharmD track, and Auburn biomedical sciences students on the accelerated pathway.
Accreditation
The MSHIA is not CAHIIM-accredited, and Samford’s page makes no CAHIIM claim. The CAHIIM directory lists no Samford program.
Samford University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
A master’s in health informatics fits Track 1 of the AMIA Health Informatics Certification, which also requires informatics work experience. The degree does not lead to the RHIA.
Keep Exploring Health Informatics Programs
See all Alabama health informatics programs, browse the health informatics master’s directory, or read the health informatics degree guide.